Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1009 Honorable Position
'I'm afraid it has something to do with the state boundaries back then...'

When Li Ximing achieved the Purple Mansion, the people who came to the lake were Zhang Gui and Wang Long. It was recorded on the most noble purple gold book in their hands that they were the [Five Envoys from the Two States of Jiaoyang].

"Zhang Gui and Wang Long must be Yang Pan's men."

There were doubts about this matter in the early days, but it gradually became clear. After all, when Li Ximing achieved success, Qingchi had already rapidly declined, and the Yang family knew that the Sun Daoist tradition would inevitably decline. Once the Li family acted recklessly, it would be very likely to harm the interests of the Yang family.

Yang Pan asked these two envoys from the five parties to come and reveal the news that the Yang family had the Purple Mansion. One reason was to stabilize the relationship between the two families, and the other was to prevent possible conflicts in the future.

Apart from this incident, the Li family has been in Jiangnan for a hundred years and has collected a lot of information. There is another name tied to this Yang Jinxin, the judge.

Southern Zhejiang Division.

According to gossip, Yang Pan is the master of the Southern Zhejiang Division, and is also in charge of handling the many strange phenomena and gold nature that caused the deaths of people in the Purple Palaces in Jiangnan. In the words of the rumors, he is the 'master of the magical power of [gold matters]'.

"I don't know what position the power of the first level of the department has in the underworld, and what role it plays, but one thing is clear, this must be a position with real power, and Jiangnan is just someone else's thing."

In any case, the Yang family before them was by no means a simple force, let alone a [weak force].

"You are a noble descendant of the emperor, the best in Jiangnan, and no one can flatter you. Now you are seeking the truth... Daoist friend, you are too modest..."

Yang Ruiyi laughed and said seriously:
"The title of imperial descendant is an exaggeration. Not many families can claim to be imperial descendants in front of you, fellow Taoist."

He spoke these words sincerely. No matter what Li Zhouwei's current situation was, as long as he was given time, he would definitely have the world's top magical powers and the blood of a unicorn flowing in his body. Unless Emperor Zhao Zhaowu was resurrected and the Emperor Zhao of the Qi family in the Zhao Palace was blessed, it would be possible for him, Li Zhouwei, to claim to be a descendant of the emperor.

After the two of them finished drinking, the old man who had been sitting quietly by the window had disappeared. Both Yang Ruiyi and Li Zhouwei breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense and stiff atmosphere immediately eased.

Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and took the opportunity to say thoughtfully:
"I heard that the person behind you is from the [Zhenan Division]? I wonder what kind of division he is."

Yang Ruiyi's mind was obviously on the old man. Even though he was the main player, he was more nervous than Li Zhouwei, fearing that he would say something wrong. When the old man left, he seemed to come alive, and his tone became more relaxed. He leaned back against the main seat and said with a smile:

"My master is not here, but in the palace. The officials in the palace are often in office but not assigned. He is in charge of this department as well, so people can call him by his name."

He raised his chin and said casually:

"After all, the palace is in the Netherworld, and those ghostly titles are usually not used."

Li Zhouwei had a deep memory of the terrifying appearance of the old man's true form just now, but he didn't dare to recall it deliberately. He just nodded. Yang Ruiyi didn't say much, and said perfunctorily:
"The [Zhenan Division] has a long history. It was responsible for this area in the past. Nowadays, the discipline is lax and the other divisions are not prominent. Many things have been streamlined and transferred to the [Zhenan Division]. Whether it is the [Beijiang Division] or the [Lingjian Division], their power is not as great as that of the [Zhenan Division]..."

Li Zhouwei saw that he was not sincere and was afraid, so he said casually:

"He really is a big shot in the Netherworld!"

Yang Ruiyi smiled and immediately changed the subject:

"Bai Lin has honored you with a visit, so I won't say too many polite words. The elders think highly of you and call you the most important assistant to the country. The nobles are also very tactful and like you... The most important thing for me to do today is to discuss this matter."

Li Zhouwei looked at him quietly, and Yang Ruiyi sighed:
"If you are willing to help our dynasty for the sake of the Netherworld, the Yang family will compensate you!"

Li Zhouwei took a sip of tea and had the answer in his mind. He asked:
"Submit your loyalty?"

Yang Ruiyi was silent for a moment.

This is not a simple matter. For the Chen family or the neighboring Gu family, it is inevitable to bow to the Yang family, and they are not qualified to discuss here. The Li family is not much better. The compensation mentioned by Yang Ruiyi is on Li Zhouwei.

Li Zhouwei practices Mingyang, which is a Taoist tradition that is not low-class. It is better for ordinary people, but Li Zhouwei is Mingyang's favorite, and his destiny is extraordinary. Since he was born, Li has not called him by his name, but called him the prince, and allowed him not to bow or kneel, which was to fulfill his destiny.

Now he has the intention to strive for the position of Buddha again. Once he treats others with courtesy as a subject, it may seem that nothing is happening, but in the end it will inevitably affect his striving for the position of Buddha!

"Li Zhouwei is the son of Mingyang after all. Even if he swallows his anger when he is in a low position, he must still have ambitions in his heart. Taking advantage of the current situation, he must strive for the position of fruit."

Destroying someone's orthodoxy is often an irreconcilable blood feud, while hindering others from seeking gold and creating obstacles for others to achieve enlightenment are also extremely hateful. How could Yang Ruiyi not be cautious?
'What's more, my family will benefit from this.'

The same logic goes for Yang Xu's side. Li Zhouwei has a special identity and destiny. If he bows to him, it will not only be of great benefit to the new dynasty established by the Yang family, but also improve Yang Xu's destiny!
It was Yang Ruiyi who knew these concerns, so he observed his expression. However, Li Zhouwei said nothing, his golden eyes staring at him, as if waiting for his next words.

Yang Ruiyi looked at him briefly, and without waiting any longer, he smiled and explained:

"Don't worry, Bai Lin. We fully support you in your pursuit of the True Lord position. This matter is not that serious... We must minimize the impact."

"After all... the governance of the new dynasty is not harsh. The Chen family and the neighboring Gu family are both vassal states that have surrendered to the country. They are given the title of king and the various lands in the county are given as fiefdoms. Although they have to obey orders, they can still govern their fiefdoms. The Li family... is even more relaxed."

He smiled and said:
"I will definitely do my best to fulfill your status and satisfy Bai Lin!"

Li Zhouwei was not surprised, or rather, neither the Yang nor the Li family was surprised. There was no room for negotiation on this matter. The fact that three generations of the Li family, Li Xizhi, Li Zhouluo and Li Jiangliang, were involved in the game was already a hint.

'The Yang family's overall situation requires the participation of the Li family. The implicit protection and assistance to the predecessors in the past were Yang's idle pieces, but they all came with a price. Regardless of whether it is equal to the price or not, whether the Li family is willing or not, it is time to fulfill it.'

And his words made it clear that from another standpoint, the underworld also held a similar position to Luoxia on Li Qianyuan's side - a dead, or at least half-dead Li Qianyuan was what the underworld wanted to see, hence the "full support" aspect.

'That's why Luoxia never cared. After all, the Li family is in the underworld. Even if Luoxia didn't take any action, the underworld would naturally watch... They wouldn't rush to destroy my fate... Instead, they would be willing to help me.'

'The attitude of the world's top power, this last corner has also been filled. This Mingyang monarch... let Luoxia and Yinsi join forces, and the dragon element was half-hearted...'

Back then, Qing Yu invited Li Zhouwei to the mountain and explained the Wei-Li issue in person. He said that Li Qianyuan and Wu Cheng's Taoism had irreconcilable conflicts... Today, it seems that Wu Cheng is simply too conservative to be more conservative! I'm afraid the rest are not irreconcilable, but they can't stand him...

Li Zhouwei stared at him quietly with his golden eyes and said softly:
"Li has received the kindness of Senior Tian Ya, so we should do our part."

Yang Ruiyi smiled slightly and replied:

"There is one more thing... We need to discuss the matter of the Great Golden Lotus."

“【Great Kindness Golden Lotus】…”

Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Master Yang has already fought back to the Spring House, right? Is there any reason why the problem cannot be solved?"

A trace of helplessness flashed across Yang Ruiyi's face, and he replied:

"The Great Golden Lotus itself is not a problem. The problem is the monks and civilians affected by the Great Golden Lotus. Their number is incalculable and they are scattered all over Lixiaquan House. If the Great Golden Lotus is broken, I'm afraid there will be millions of corpses."

Li Zhouwei didn't say anything in his heart, but he looked as if he had suddenly realized something, nodded slightly, and listened to him shaking his head:

"Fortunately, you are born holy after all, and you still have some magic in your hands. The most gentle and convenient method at the moment is to lock up the [Great Good Golden Lotus] and remove its influence. It will disappear in eight to ten years."

"These [Great Golden Lotuses] are all under our supervision, except... there are two in the wilderness, which are difficult to deal with."

Li Zhouwei immediately understood that what Yang Ruiyi was talking about was the [Great Good Golden Lotus], but in fact it was the delivery and division of the wilderness, so he put down the cup and asked:

"What do the nobles think?"

Yang Ruiyi only said:
"My master's idea is... the wilderness will remain in our hands for now, and when things are properly arranged, we will hand it over to the nobles in another way."

The manpower losses in the wilderness were actually much less than estimated, but the [Golden Lotus of Great Kindness] had already spread everywhere, and it was dropped by Shi Tu, so it was difficult to deal with. If the Li family took it, they would really have no means to deal with it for the time being, so handing it over to the Yang family would save a lot of trouble.

"The so-called other method is either enfeoffment or reward..."

Li Zhouwei nodded and replied:

"Excuse me, noble."

Yang Ruiyi then smiled and said:

"That's fine. I want to thank the noble for his trust."

Li Zhouwei finished talking about everything, and finally said solemnly with a serious face:
"There are two more members of my family... One is my younger brother Li Zhouluo, who has been rewarded by the adults, and the other is my elder Li Yuanqin, who is practicing in Qingchi... I wonder how the nobles will deal with them?"

Li Xuanxuan had been thinking about this matter for a long time. Now that Li Zhouwei had met Yang Ruiyi, he asked about it in detail.

Yang Ruiyi looked at him unexpectedly, put away his smile, and replied:
"Li Zhouluo... after all, he has Yang blood. If he is placed in my Yang family, he will be safe and sound. We don't have to worry about someone using any means on him to affect our family. This is good for him, and for both our families."

Li Zhouwei gave him a serious look, and Yang Ruiyi added, smiling:

"But... there's no need to dwell on this. Once the new dynasty is established, he'll have room to make his own choices. You and I should just wait."

He seemed very confident and looked at Li Zhouwei quietly:

"As for Li Yuanqin... Ning will guard Yishan City and Southern Xinjiang for you. This is a reward for Ning Wan. If Li really needs him, just ask Ning. I'm sure Ning Wan won't refuse."

"only…"

He smiled and said:
"I think... after finally getting out of here, it's a good thing not to go back to the lake."

Li Zhouwei looked at him thoughtfully:
"Reward... Ning Wan still has some tricks up her sleeve..."

The two of them were each concerned about their own interests, so there was not much to talk about. Yang Ruiyi served tea and said with a smile:
"Just wait, my friend. It will happen in the next few years. One day, the sky will be filled with stars, twinkling without stopping, bright day and night. It will be the day when the country is established by the military. A golden carriage and jade horse will come to the lake and you will be conferred a noble title!"

After saying this, he personally stood up from the main seat, escorted the golden-eyed young man out, then took a step forward and pushed open the door of the pavilion with his own hands.

"Crench."

The warm light of the early morning suddenly fell into the pavilion. The stone steps were bright and the cool wind was blowing, but there was a person waiting outside the pavilion.

The man had handsome eyebrows and sparkling golden eyes. He was wearing a long robe with rolling cloud patterns and a brocade robe with animal patterns on the outside. He was extremely elegant, revealing a bit of the bearing of a Confucian general. He was waiting outside the pavilion.

As soon as the door of the pavilion opened, he immediately bowed and said respectfully:
"Hello, sir...Hello...father!"

Li Zhouwei stood in front of the pavilion, facing the bright sunlight, with his hands behind his back. Yang Ruiyi's laughter echoed outside the pavilion:

"The Fourth Young Master has made outstanding contributions to the immortal world. Your Excellency has mentioned him a lot. It is a fact that a good father will have a good son!"

Li Jiangliang bowed before the pavilion, not showing any emotion because of his words, but waiting cautiously, and then he heard his father's voice:

"Fellow Taoist is so complimentary."

Li Jiangliang felt complicated. He raised his head slightly and stepped aside. He saw two suits of clothing in front of him. The man in black smiled and said:
"I won't bother you anymore."

His figure disappeared in an instant, wiped out completely, as if he had never appeared, leaving only the young man with golden eyes standing quietly in the same place. Li Jiangliang raised his eyes a few inches:
"Father."

"Come walk with me."

"Yes."

Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and walked along the corridor between the attic. Li Jiangliang followed him closely and listened to Li Zhouwei ask:
"What affairs do you handle in the court? What position do you hold?"

Li Jiangliang said hurriedly:
"I am now preparing the rites for the new dynasty. Once the major events are completed, I should take care of the people's livelihood."

Li Zhouwei paused, looked back and said:

"You are different from your brothers. Cui Jueyin has taught you for more than ten years, and you have listened to him and have not disgraced my family's education."

Li Jiangliang had never expected his father to say such words. He was stunned for a moment and remained silent for a few breaths before he suddenly realized:
"Father...Thank you, Father."

Li Zhouwei turned sideways to look at the clouds outside the corridor, leaned on the carved white stone railing, and said quietly:

"That day, your eldest brother came back from the Mushroom Forest. I also heard what you said. You said you would rather die than touch a single thing in the house..."

Li Jiangliang stayed beside him, looking at his golden pupils with a complicated expression.

But my father's tone gradually softened, and he said lightly:
"In fact, you also know that it doesn't matter whether you use the power of your family at any time. If one day you are powerless and really have to use it, it will be something that cannot be evaded, and there is no need to swear such a vicious oath..."

Li Jiangliang lowered his eyes and suddenly bowed to the ground. Li Zhouwei's words became fainter and only echoed in his heart.

"If we stay with Yang, there may be more opportunities."

Main characters in this chapter
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Li Zhouwei [Early Purple Mansion]

Yang Ruiyi [Middle Zifu Period] [Four Min Yangs]